Union Membership Up By More Than 1000 in DWP

Fact 1. Over 35,000 PCS members attended over 1,000 office meetings last year to support the campaign to defend the Civil Service compensation Scheme (CSCS)

Fact 2. Over 18,000 PCS members took their own time to go to the Cabinet Office website and protest in their own words about the proposed attack on the CSCS.

Fact 3. Up to this week 160 MP’s have signed the Early Day Motion supporting our campaign and demanding a debate in Parliament.

Fact 4. Over 59,000 PCS members voted for strike action followed by an overtime ban

Fact 5. Over 200,000 PCS members were on strike on 8/9 March

Fact 6. Despite frantic efforts by management to frighten staff into coming into work - Crown and county court sittings were cancelled across England and Wales, many Jobcentres offered little or no service, Carlisle Jobcentre Plus contact centre staff were asked to pretend to be answer phones, there were picket lines at Houses of Parliament for the first time in a generation, 4,000 driving tests were cancelled, tax call centres switched to recorded messages, 80,000 passports were delayed, there was severe disruption at Gatwick with 70% of UK Border Agency staff on strike.

Fact 7. Well attended strike rallies were held across the UK. The London march and rally was supported by several hundred members and won the support of the TUC.

Fact 8. Media coverage was excellent on news bulletins throughout the day on all national TV and radio stations. Mark Serwotka was on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, BBC Radio 5 Live, Breakfast TV, GMTV, Sky News and Channel 4 News.

Fact 9. PCS is continuing to pursue legal action. The government is attempting to delay this in the courts. Industrial action will help to keep the pressure on.

Fact 10. Since the day the strikes were announced union membership in the DWP has gone up by over 1,000 with staff everywhere flooding to join the union.